I love everything about Broccoli and Cheese Soup. You see… broccoli is my favorite vegetable. And there’s just something to be said about taking a vegetable and serving it in a bowl of cheese. Delicious. That’s what can be said- it’s delicious.
Broccoli and Cheese soup is perfectly creamy and cheesy. Believe it or not, there is such a thing as too cheesy. You don’t want a broccoli and cheese soup to be so thick that you have to chew it. It should be rich and velvety, but smooth. It took me a few attempts come up with a recipe with a consistency that I loved. Personally, I really enjoy Panera Bread Co’s Broccoli and Cheese Soup, so that was kind of a baseline for me. When I was younger, I bought waaaaay too many bread bowls filled with broccoli and cheese soup.
The best thing about Broccoli and Cheese Soup is that there isn’t a season for it. No one will ever look at you funny for chowing down on a bowl of this soup. July, August, whatever. If you happened to notice, Panera has a season for a lot of their soups, but not for Broccoli and Cheese Soup. So while making this recipe in a snowy April in Ohio seems fitting, I would still make this soup when it’s 80 degrees in July. It’s just that good.
Tip: Make sure to get some delicious fresh bread before serving this soup. Fresh bread and Broccoli and Cheese Soup are the perfect food pairing.
Let me show you how I made this Broccoli and Cheese Soup 👇🏻
In a Dutch oven or large pot, add 4 tbsp of unsalted butter over medium-high heat. Add 1 small diced sweet onion. Cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add 1/4 cup of flour and stir. Cook the flour for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Then add 4 cups vegetable stock.
Add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp paprika, and about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
Now add 4 heads of broccoli’s worth of florets.
Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until the broccoli is tender-crisp and the broth has thickened slightly.
After that time is up, this next step is optional. I like to take my immersion blender and blend up some of the broccoli to smooth it out a little. I still enjoy some chunks of broccoli, so I do not blend it until it’s smooth. But it’s totally up to your preference.
Now it’s time to add 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup of freshly shredded carrots. I would really recommend that you shred the carrots yourself because they’ll be fresher and softer in texture.
Add 16 oz of a freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese block. Again, I’d recommend shredding the cheese yourself because it’s fresher and softer and melts so much nicer. But, if you need to use pre-shredded, I’m sure it will be fine.
Stir consistently until the cheese has melted and thickened. The longer that the soup cooks, the more that it will thicken. If you need it thicker faster, add a little bit of cornstarch (mixed with a little water) and cook until thickened to your liking.
Ladle some soup into a bowl and top it with a little more cheddar cheese. Serve with some fresh bread on the side.
Enjoy!!
Note: Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm. You may need to add a little more vegetable stock or milk to loosen the soup up.
These are the recommended products that I used to make this delicious recipe! These are not only products that I use, but products that I love.
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Small Sweet Onion, diced
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/4 Cup Flour
- 4 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 4 Heads of Broccoli, cut into florets
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/2 Tsp Paprika
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Shredded Carrots
- 16 Oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese Block, shredded + more for serving
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then add the flour, stirring frequently, and cook the flour for about 2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, crushed red pepper flakes, nutmeg, paprika, salt, and pepper. Then add the broccoli. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the broccoli is tender-crisp and the stock has slightly thickened.
- After the stock has slightly thickened, this next step is optional. I like to take my immersion blender and blend up some of the soup to smooth it out. I still like chunks of broccoli, so I don’t completely smooth it out. How smooth you like it is up to you!
- Now add the heavy cream and shredded carrots. Cook for about 5 minutes until the carrots have softened.
- Add the shredded cheddar, stirring frequently until it has melted. The longer this soup cooks, the more that it will thicken. If you need it thicker faster, add a littler cornstarch (mixed with a little water) and cook until thickened to your preference.
- Serve the soup with a little extra shredded cheddar on top with some fresh bread on the side. Enjoy!!
- Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm. You may need to add a little more vegetable stock or milk to loosen the soup up.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.